Grain cleaning and separating machine



Feb. 28, 1928.

c. c. GRAY GRAIN CLEANING AND SEPARATING MACQINE Filed Feb. s. 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 17799222507 I I Cflfil. C. GRAY 17 Fb. 2s, 1.928. 1,660,645

C. C. GRAY GRAIN CLEANING AND SEPARATING MACHINE Filed Feb. 8. 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 28, 1928. I 1,660,645

c. c. G RAY GRAIN CLEANING AND SBPARATING MACHINE Filed Feb. 8. 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I772)? 2 fly 07/1 4 6: GRAY jziornel/ l Feb. 28, 1928.

C. C. GRAY GRAIN CLEANING AND SEPARATING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 WW f WP We m 1 j m C y 6 5 m NM Feb. 28, 1928.

I v c. c. GRAY GRAIN CLEANING AND SEPAHATING MACHINE Filed Feb. 8. 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 J72 z/enZor CHAL c GRAY Patented Feb. 28, 1928. i

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL C. GRAY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, 1V.l'.I1\l'1\TESO'II'JA, ASSIGNOR 'I'O TWIN (IZI'RY SEPARATQR 00., OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CQRPORATIONOF MINNESOTA.

GRAIN CLEANING AND SEPARATING MACHINE.

Application filed February This invention relates to improvements in grain cleaning and separating machinery and the primary object is to provide a highly novel, practical and efficient machlne for thoroughly cleaning and separating grain of all kinds. A further object is to provide an "improved construction of scalper or cleaning mechanism which separates all or most of the foreign matter from the grain before it is advanced to the separating mechanisms which separate it into its constituenteleiii-ants. A further object is to provide means of a novel nature for feeding and distributing grain, discharged by the cleaning procsee, to a series of separating units whereby thcdistribution of grain to the various units will be automatically regulated and equalized. A further object is to associate said feeding and distributing means with the cleaning and separating mechanisms wherehy the capacity of the machine may be regulatcd at will, and whereby the volume of grain discharged by the cleaning unit will determine and regulate the receiving capasty of the respective separating umts.

F fiber and more specific objects will be di... .lor-aed in the course of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in Which: Y

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of themachine. I

F g. 2 is a side elevation of 'the machine can from the right in Fig. 1, some parts being broken away for purpose of illustration.

3 a left end elevation of the mach ine, with various parts broken away for purpose of illustration.

Fig. 4-. is a sectional elevation as on the line 4 in Fig. 1. r l V 5 is a sectional plan view as on the line 5-5 in Fig. 2. i j

. Fig. 6 is a detail perspectiv-e view of the 11. joi' portion of the feed regulating and adju. "ng iii-echanism, as seen when removed from the machine.

Fig. 7 a rear view of the left end of 4 Carried s, 1926.. Serial No. 86,934.

ing units. Inthe present instance three of such separating units A, B, and C are 1nd1- units is regulated by vertically slidable gates 13, 1.4L and15. The gates have ins 16 which engage in the slotted ends 0 cam acting levers 17, 18 and-19, which levers are pivoted as at 20, and are simultaneously opened and closed by a bar 21 which extends across the machine. The'bar 21 is reciprocatecl or adjusted by a hand lever 22, pivoted to the machine as at 23, so that when the lower end of the lever is pulled out the gates 1315 will be opened, while the pressing in of the leverwill tendv to close or partly close the gates. y

on top of the main frame 9 is the scalper or cleaning mechanism, which maybe described as follows: A casing hav-' ing end walls 24 and 25 and a rear wall 26 is provided in its upper end with a hopper grain is fed, as by a chute or feed pipeE.

The hopper -D hasa rear wall 27, spaced 7 from the wall 26, a pair of inclined and spaced front shelves 28 and 29, and an inclined rear shelf 30. Said shelvesslope inwardly and are spaced fromeach other in an oifset'mannerso that the grain will pass through between them in a zigzag manner. The object of this is to prevent the passage of-anylarge sticks or other objects, which,

when thus caught may be readily removed by hand, and to permit the operator to observe (between the members 28 and 29) the nature and amount of grainbeing fed to the cleanerproper. Under the rear shelf 30 isarranged a longitudinally'ribbed feed roller 31, carried on a shaft 32, and it operates in conjunction with'a series of gates or doors 33, 34 and 35 to determine and regulate the actual flow of. grain from the hopper to the cleaning mechanism. These gates 33-35 are provided with contacting side members 36 to prevent the grain from escaping between 'the gates andrestricting it to flowing overthe' rear or inner "ends of the gates, as determined by the feed roller The gates are pivotally mounted forindependent adjustment upon a shaft 37. This shaftis normally non-rotatable, but is subingly upward position.

ject to a slight oscillating movement when the machine'is in operatlon. Upon the shaft 37 are rigidly secured collars 38, one for" each gate, which are provided with depending tongues 39 in which rods l0 are slidably guided. The inner ends of the rods arepivoted to the inner ends of the gates, and compression springs-41 are carried by the rods so as to hold the gates-in a yield- The-object of independently mounting the gates33, s4 and to prevent the excessive feeding of rain to the shakers when a corn cob or the gates 33-35 and thefeecl roll 31 it drops 1 down upon the inclined screen 4th of a shaker frame 45. v This frame is provided with forwardly and rearwardly projecting plates 46 which ride on rollers 47 so that the frame may be oscillated from side to side. Under the rear portion of the screen ll the frame is provided with an inclined bottom 4L8.

A link rod 49 is pivotally connected at one endto the shaker bottom 48 and at its other end is pivotally connected to one arm of a bell crank lever 50 which is pivoted, as at '51, to the scalper frame, the other arm being connected, as by a universal joint 52, to a connecting rod 53 which is reciprocated by an eccentric 54 on a shaft55, mounted in bearings 56. 1

The shaft 55 has a pulley 57, by which it is driven from aline shaft or some suitable power unit, and a sprocket pinion 58, by which it drivesa sprocket chain 59 which passes over a sprocket gear 60 on the feed roller shaft 82. The shaft 55 is also provided with a pulley 61 which, by a. belt 62,

- ing from the feed roller,it takes and carries with it all chafi, straw, dust and other undesirable foreign matter having a lighter speea set citic gravity than the grain. A door 67 is provided in the wall 26, and is adjustable by a bracket 68, whereby the force or volume of the draft coming up from the lower end of the chute may be easily regulated.

Objects too large to go or be shaken through the screen ell will slide or roll off, forwardly. The grain passing through the screen will drop directly into a long trough 69, or guided into it by a plate 70, and

from the trough 69 passes down through spouts 71, 72 and 73 which lead it directly into the respective separator unit spouts 10, 11 and 12. A worm 74, carried by the shaft 55, operates in the bottom of the trough 69 and has for its object to move the grain along to the left (as in Fig. 1) and thus deliver it to the different separating unit spouts.

-Much of the construction above described .is substantially old in the art, and, as such,

the most objectionable features have been that no adequate means have been provided for properly adjusting and distributing the flow of grain from thehopper l) to the separating units, that no means have been pro vided for automatically cutting off or reducing the flow of grain discharged by the feed roller when the feed worm 7d and the trough 69 become crowded, and that no means'have been provided for automatically adjusting the discharged grain in proportion to the de- 'mands or capacity of the separator units, as

set, or for manually setting and adjusting the various feeding and adjusting devices. These objections have all been very effectively overcome by my invention, and particularly by'virtue of the construction now to be set forth and described.

Slidably mounted in horizontal slot-s 75 in the side walls of the trough 69, and near the left end thereof, is a bar 76, to which is secureda casting 76 having a rod 77 which guides in a perforation 7 8 in the end wall of the trough. The casting is also provided with depending arms 79 and 80, the first of which is vertical while the latter is inclined and is provided with a set screw 81 for adjustably limiting the outward swinging movement of a gate 82 which swings from the bar 76. The gate 82 is limited in its rightor inward movement by the arm 79, and in its left or outward'movement by the set screw 81. The gate operates adjacent to the end of the feed screw 74 and is provided with a slot 83 through which extends the shaft 55. A link rod 84 is pivoted as at 85 to the right side of the gate 82, and, at its opposite end 86, to the depending arm 87 of a bell crank lever 8788 which is pivotally carried by a rigid or stationary bracket 89. The horizontal arm 88 of this bell crank lever is adjustably connected, to the horizon tal arm of the bell crank lever l2, by a link 90 having an adjusting nut 91. The outer end of the rod 77 is hooked, to engage the upper end of a hand lever 92*which is pivotally carried by a stationary bracket 93. The lower end of the handle 92 is provided with suitable means such as a pin 94, and a hook 95 forengaging the pin, to releasably v hold the handle up adjacent to the machine;

while the handle 22 is provided with an adjustable extension member 96, secured by a screw 97, to engage the lever 92 and move it in with the lever 22, but which permits the lever 22 to move outwardly without taking the lever 92 with it, when the latter is secured by the hook 95;

As previously mentioned the cleaned grain is fed into the trough 69 and is moved along by the worm 74L so that it will feed properly to the various separator units. Should the supply of cleaned grain exceed the ca' pacity of the separating units, as set, then the spouts 1012, 7173 will become checked with grain and the worm 74 will move the surplus grain'in the trough 69 over against the gate 82, moving it to the left (asseen in Figs. 1 and 5), and as the gate swings leftward from the pivot rod 76, it pulls the rod 841: with it, and this, by

virtue of the elements 86, 87, 88, 90, 91, and e2, rotates the shaft 37 in a direction which will tend to move the gates 33, 34. and 35 up ward toward the roller'3l, thus reducing the supply of grain being fedto'the cleaning shaker. WVhen the grain in the spouts has been absorbed by the separators to the extent that the spouts can receive more grain from the trough, then the volume of grain in the trough has been reduced to normal, the gate 82 will be returned to its initial position, by the spring a3, and the gate (33) springs 11 will be restored to their original pressure. The sensitiveness of the automatic adjustment just described may readily be regulated bytheadjusting nut 91 on the link JO. The swinging movement of the gate 82 is limited by the set screw 81 of the bracket arm 80, and if the screw 81'does not permit the gate to swing sufficiently far, to effect the necessary adjustments, then the entire gate will move together with the rod "76 to pullthe rod 84; still farther to the left.

In this event also, the parts will be restored by the spring 13, when the grain yields, as the gate 82 abuts the arm 7 9 as soon as restored to vertical position.

To manually reduce and stop the volume of grain passing between the feed roll 31' and the gates 3335, the operator merely pushes the hand lever 92 toward the machine where he may' secure it as by the hook 95. This actionpulls the rod 77 and consequently therod 84, with the closing effect on. the gates 33535 already described. This is a very eflicient manner of cleaning out'the machine as it stops or substantially reduces the grain leaving the hopper D but does not close any 'ofthe other grain'parts, so

that the grain may pass entirely through the machine. I

If'the operator desires to reduce but not cut oil the volume of grain passing through the entire machine, so that 1t may be treated slower or moreeffectively he presses the handlev'er 22 inward, thus closing or partly -GlOSlngil1e separator unit gates 13,1 1 and 15. He cannot reduce the separator unit capacity, however, without also reducing the cleaner capacity, because of the hook or extension 96 which engages the hand lever 92. As the member 96 is vertically adjustable'on the lever 22, and as the levers 22 and 92 have different fulcrums, it is obvious that the degree of movement-imparted to the lever 92 by the other lever may also be adjusted as circumstances may require.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the general design and structural details, of the invention as herein shown and described, provlded, however, that said modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having now therefore fully shown and described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: 1. The combination with a machine having a grain'cleaning mechanism and a series.

of. grain separatingunits adapted to receive cleaned grain from the cleaning mechanism,

of gates for controlling the passage of grain to the grain cleaning mechanism, and means for adjusting said gates when the volume of cleaned grain exceeds the predetermined capacity of the separating units.

j 2. The combination with a machine hav- 1 ing a grain cleaning mechanism and a series of grain separating units adapted to receive v cleaned grain from the cleaning mechanism, of adjustable means for feeding grainto the cleaning mechanism, and means for automatically adjusting said feeding means according to the predeterminedcapacity of the separating units, said adjusting means being actuableby the volume of grain discharged by said cleaning mechanism.

4. The combination with .a machine having a grain cleaning mechanism and a series of grain separating units adapted to receive cleaned grain from the cleaning mechanism,

of means for regulating the flow of grain to the GlGtUllIlg' mechanism, means for regulat ing the flow of grain to the separating units,

iii

cleaned grain fromthewcleaning mechanism,

of means for'regulating the flow of grain to the cleaning mechanism, means for regulatmg the flow of gra n to the separating units, 7

and manually controlled means for simultaneously and .correspondingly adjusting both of said regulating means to increase or decrease the volume of grain treated by the entire machine; 7

6. The combination with a machine having a grain cleaning mechanism and a series of grain separating units adapted to receive cleaned grain fromthe cleaning mechanism, of means for regulating the flow of grainto the cleaning mechanism, means for regulating the flow of grain to the separating units, and means ,actuable by the grain passing from the cleaning mechanism to the separating .units' for automatically adjusting the said first mentioned regulating means.

v7. In a machine of the character described the combination with a grain cleaning mechanism and a series of grain separating units, of a feeding device for feeding grain to the cleaning mechanism, a receptacle for receiving grain from the cleaning mechanism and distributing it to the separating units, and means controlledby the volume of grain in said. receptacle for adjusting the feeding device.

8. I In a machine of the character described the combination with a grain cleaning mechanism and a series of grain separating units, of a feeding device for feeding grain to the cleaning mechanism,xa receptacle for receiving grain from the cleaning mechanism and distributing it to the separating units, and means for automatically reducing the flow of grain fed to the cleaning mechanism when the supply of grain in the receptacle is in;

excess of the normal capacity of the'separating units.

In a machine. of'the character described the combination with a grain cleaning mech anism and a series of grain separating units, of a feeding device for feeding grain to the cleaning mechanism, a receptacle for .receiv ing grain from the cleaningmechanism, said receptacle having a-series of outlet ports for feeding the respective separating units, a distributing member in the receptacle for distributin the grain therein to the outlet ports, and means adapted to be actuated by the grain in the receptacle for automatically adjusting said feeding device when the machine is in operation.

10. In a machine of the character demg units, of a. feeding device for feeding Quill, to the cleanin mechanism, a recep tacle for-receiving grainfrom the cleaning ratingunits, adistributing member in the rece )tacle for distributin the 'rain therein to tliejoutlet ports, and means adapted to be actuated by the grain inthe receptacle for automatically adjusting said feeding device when the machine is in operation, and means for manually actuating said automatic ad l ti m a 1,1. In a machine of the character described the combination with a grain cleaning mechanism and a series of gram separating units, adapted to receive grain therefrom, of a feeding device for feeding grain to the cleaning mechanism, gates for con trolling the flow of grain to the respective separating units, and means for simultaneously opening and closing all of said gates.

12. In a machine of the character described the combination with a grain cleanin mechanism and a series of grain separating units, adapted to receive grain therefrom, of a feeding device for feeding grain to the cleaning mechanism, gates for controlling the'fiow of grain to the respective separating units, means for adjusting said feeding device and means for adjusting said gates,-said:gate adjusting means being operative to actuate said feeding device adjusting 7 means.

13.111 a machine of the character describedthe combination with a grain cleaning mechanism and a series of grain separating units, adapted to receive grain therefrom, of a feeding device for feeding grain to the cleaning mechanism, gates for controlling the flow of grain to the respective separating units, means for adjusting said feeding device and means for adjusting said gates, said gate adjusting means being operative to actuate said feeding device adjusting means, and said feeding device adjusting means being operableindependently of the gate adjusting means.

14L. Ina machine of the character described the combination With a grain cleaning mechanism and a hopper for supplying grain thereto, of aserie-s of independently mountedgates for regulating the flow of grain to the cleaning mechanism from the hopper, springs for independently acting on said gates to hold them yieldingly closed, and means for simultaneously adjusting all of said gates to regulate the discharge ca pa ty Of t opp 15, In a machine of the character described the combination with a grain cleaning mechanism and a hopper for supplying grain thereto, of a series of independently mounted gates for. regulating the flow of grain to thecleaning mechanism from the hopper, springs for independently acting on said gates to hold them yieldingly closed, and means controlled by the grain discharged "from the cleaning mechanism for automatically adjusting all of said gates simultaneously. r

16.111 a" machine of the character described the combination "with a grain cieaning mechanic-n1 and-a hopper for supplying grain thereto, of a closure for regulating the discharge opening of the hopper, and means adapted to be actuated by the graindischarge from the cleaningmechanism for automatically adjusting the hopper closure.

17. In a machine of the character described the combination with a grain cleaning mechanism and a hopper for supplying grain thereto, of a closure for regulating the discharge opening of the hopper, spring means tending to hold said closure in predetermined position. and means actuable by grain discharged from the cleaning mechanism for automatically adjusting the closure and thereby control the flow of grain from the hopper. 1

18.1n a machine of the character described the combination with a grain cleaning unit having a hopper for supplying grain thereto, of a shaft mounted in the unit, hopper gates carried by the shaft, springs associated With the shaft and gates to yieldingly act against the latter, and means for oscillatingthe shaft to vary the positions of the hopper gates.

19. In a machine of the character described the combination with a grain cleaning unit having a hopper for supplying grain thereto, of a shaft mounted in the unit, hopper gates carried by the shaft, springs associated with the shaft and gates to yield ingly act against the latter, and means actuable by the grain. discharged from the cleaning unit for oscillating the shaft to regulate the positions of the gates.

20. In a machine of the character described the combination with a grain cleaning mechanism and a grain separating mechanism. of a receptacle for receiving grain from the cleaning mechanism and delivering it to the separating mechanism, means for delivering grain to the cleaning mechanism, and means adapted to be actuated by an excess supply of grain in the receptacle for adjusting the delivering means.

21.111 a machine of the character described the combination with. a grain cleaning mechanism and a grain separating mechanism, of a receptacle for receiving grain from the cleaning mechanism and delivering it to the separating mechanism, means for delivering grain to the cleaning mechanism, and means adapted to be actuated by an excess supply of grain in the receptacle for adjusting the delivering means, said last mentioned means comprising a conveyor and a plate adjustably associated therewith.

means near one end of the receptacle for engagement by the grain therein for control ling the volume of grain fed to the cleaning mechanism.

23. In a machine of the character described having a grain cleaning mechanism and a series of grain separating units, the combination including a receptacle for recei ing grain from the cleaning mechanism, said receptacle having a discharge port for each separating unit, a conveyor for moving the in the receptacle over said ports, a plate adjustably carried in one end of the receptacle, and an operative connection between the plate and means ior feeding grain to the cleaning mechanism. 7

24.331 a machine of the character described having a grain cleaning mechanism and a series of grain separating units, the combination including a receptacle for receiving grain from the cleaning mechanism,

said receptacle having a discharge port for each separating unit, means for feeding grain to the cleaning mechanism, a plate member adjustably mounted in the receptacle, and adapted to be moved by a surplus amount of grain therein, for adjusting said feeding means. M

25. In a machine of the character described having a grain cleaning mechanism and a series of grain separating units, the combination including a receptacle for receiving grain from the cleaning mechanism, said receptacle having a discharge port for each separating unit, means for feeding grain to the cleaning mechanism, a plate member adjustably mounted in the receptacle, and adapted to be moved by a surplus amount of grain therein, for adjusting said feeding means, and means for manually moving said plate member to effect an adjustment in said feeding means.

26. In a grain treating machine having a primary grain treating mechanism and a secondary grain treating mechanism, the

combination of means for controlling the supply of grain to the primary treating mechanism, means for delivering grain from the primary treating mechanism to the secondary treating mechanism, and means, ac-

secondary grain treating mechanism adapted to receive grain from the primary treating mechanism, the combination of means for controlling the supply of grain to the primary treating mechanism, and means adapted to be influenced by the grain pass ing to thesecondary treating mechanism for automatically adjusting the said grain controlling means to reduce the supply of grain to the primary treating mechanism When the supply of grain passing therefrom to the secondary treating mechanism exceeds the predetermined capacity of the latter.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CARL C. GRAY. 

